Tuesday, 13 May 2014

Sing from the Heart Singing Holiday May 2014

WOW! What a week! We have just waved a fond farewell to our lovely group of singers. A group of friends old and new from the UK and France. An inspiring week of hard work and commitment from all.

It was our first Sing from the Heart Holiday here at De Tout Coeur Limousin, and also the inaugural use of our barn workshop space. Just days (OK hours) before our guests arrived the barn was still in a very "barn like" state. Straw, dust, small animals under the floor boards etc... But after much sweeping, hoovering and a few rugs and tea lights we were away. A workshop and performance space with great acoustics and a certain rustic charm.

Deni and Deborah (avec Jogi and Eric the dogs) relaxing with a bit of crochet between rehearsals

The end of the week culminated in our performance night. Showcasing what the group had been working on. An informal, relaxed soiree with some wine and nibbles.

At the start of the week we had no audience, but slowly and surely by the final night we had a lovely mix of neighbours, friends and friends of friends. Both myself and Peter were moved by the friendly show of support from our neighbours and the local community. It was a real welcome and enabled us to show what we do and who we are, as well as the opportunity to meet and chat with new people.

We learnt and performed a range of songs including Happy by Pharrell Williams, The Beatles 8 Days a Week and The Feeling's Never be Lonely. Learning Happy resulted in a few tears and cries of 'that's a pile of poo' (to put it more politely). It was a fast and at times complex arrangement which took us out of our comfort zone. But the result was a fabulous, energetic performance full of heart and soul, which got the audience clapping along with us. The moral to the story being don't always take the easy road as it usually pays off.

The individual performances from the group members were next and were a great example of doing what you love with love. Everyone shined and sung from their hearts. From the bouncy Buddy Holly Medley from Neil to the glamourous Anglo-French folk stylings of Pamela. Deborah beautifully sung a personal favourite; Dream a little Dream by Mama Cass. Doug and Deni were next with their rocking rendition of Dr Hook's The Cover of the Rolling Stone. I sung Sandy Denny's classic, Who Knows Where the Time Goes - a beautiful song I had long been wanting to learn.

A lovely summation of the evening and highlighting what we are trying to communicate and help others with here at De Tout Coeur.

The night ended long after the singing had finished, with a bit more wine, chatting with our welcoming and appreciative audience and ended with a midnight chicken sandwich, digestive biscuit and tea feast before a well deserved sleep.

A big thank you and merci beaucoup to all who took part and attended. It could not have been better. Looking forward to the next one already...

Do get in touch if you would like to book one of our organized singing holidays in France or create your own tailor made singing break here at De Tout Coeur Limousin.